Black widow spiders (BWSs) are poisonous spiders of the Arthropoda phylum that live in the Mediterranean region. The effects of BWS bites ranges from local damage to systemic manifestations including paresthesia, stiffness, abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, headache, anxiety, hypertension, and tachycardia. However, cardiac involvement following a BWS bite is uncommon. We report a 35-year-old man who developed acute pulmonary edema with electrocardiogram changes that showed ST elevation in leads I, aVL with reciprocal ST segment depression in infero-lateral leads with elevated cardiac biomarkers. Echocardiography showed regional wall motion abnormalities with an impaired ejection fraction of 40%. The condition was reversible after one week of supportive treatment, and the patient was discharged from the hospital with normal electrocardiogram, ejection fraction, and negative cardiac markers. A routine cardiac evaluation, serial ECG, serial cardiac markers, and echocardiography follow-up should be considered for any patient exposed to a BWS bite for detection of any potentially fatal cardiac abnormalities. Keywords: Black widow spider; Egypt; Spider bites; Myocarditis; Heart failure; Kounis syndrome; Acute coronary syndrome.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.